


By the Light of the Tree

by southernbookgirl



Category: NCIS
Genre: Christmas, Christmas prompts, Ellick, F/M, Tumblr Prompt, decorations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 17:26:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16877118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/southernbookgirl/pseuds/southernbookgirl
Summary: Ellie Bishop never knew any guy who loved Christmas as much as Nick Torres, but that was not the only surprise she had that night.Christmas Prompts, Days #4 and 5: "Christmas Tree lights" and "Decorations"





	By the Light of the Tree

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas season! I am sorry I am not writing for every day, but I thought I would do a story here or there when my scheduled allowed it. I wrote this in a bit of a hurry, so please forgive any stumbling you may encounter reading it.

_“I heard the bells on Christmas Day/Their old, familiar carols play, and wild and sweet/The word repeat of peace on earth, good-will to men!”_  
_~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,_ “Christmas Bells”

* * *

“Nick, what the heck are you doing?!” Ellie Bishop exclaimed to no one in particular when she entered her partner’s apartment, one evening about a week after Thanksgiving. She had never seen so many decorations in her life. Wreaths hung on every window and every door, with one that harked back to his Venezuelan roots hung above the fireplace. Strings of white lights adorned the kitchen, and small Christmas statues, decorations, and trinkets settled on almost every available surface in his apartment. She knew he liked Christmas, but never in her life had she seen it at this level. I mean, her mother went all out for Christmas back in Oklahoma, and Ellie loved it as well. But this… Bishop never knew a guy – especially one as single and carefree as Nicholas Armando de Cristiano Torres – who enjoyed Christmas as much as her partner.

Speak of the devil, she scanned Nick’s apartment and could not find any sign of him. He texted Bishop and told her to meet him at his apartment at 6:30 sharp that Friday evening. They had plans to grab dinner at a nice restaurant down the road and head to a new patisserie a few blocks away for dessert. Bishop cared to be early, but she was fairly certain Nick did not step out or run an errand so close to their meeting time. The blonde federal agent, decked out in a long-sleeved black dress with a crocheted back, a wrap, and low black heels, wearing minimal makeup and her hair curled, stepped into the den to take a seat. Upon her entering, she noticed a small box sitting in the middle of the coffee table.

Curious of its contents, Ellie started to pick up the box when she heard the faint strains of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” come on in the background. Wondering if a neighbor had the music too loud, Bishop turned her head towards the direction of the sound when she noticed the lights had dimmed. Both curious and confused at the sudden turn of events, she twisted around to grab her phone from her purse when she caught sight of Nick: on his ground, with one knee bent, glancing up at her. Like two souls perfectly in sync, Bishop dropped the box in shock, only for Nick to catch it easily in his hands. Shocked at the sight in front of her, Ellie let Nick take her left hand into his right hand as he uttered words she thought she would never hear again:

“B, ever since the day we met in that alleyway, my life has never been the same. Your wit, your intelligence, your fierce loyalty, strength, and resolve have tested my own boundaries of what it meant it to be a brother, an agent, and a friend. In the last several months, those moments have brought a new level of companionship, camaraderie, and respect I never knew I wanted or needed. My life is wonderful because you are with me, you make me happy even if I feel sad and low. Your smile brightens my day and all the darkness disappears. I search for you when you are not around, and my heart aches when I don’t find you. You make me crazy many days, but I would not have it any other way. You are the reason for all my happiness, a happiness I never thought I would have again, and without you this life would be ever so dull. All I want in my life is that we stay together. I want us to not only be partners and friends at work, but lovers and partners, equals, in life. So, Eleanor Raye Bishop, under the twinkling lights of this beautiful tree, would you do me the greatest honor of marrying me?”

At his conclusion, Nick opened the small black box to reveal a beautiful halo diamond ring, flanked by several pavé diamonds of either side, set in a rose-gold band. Ellie, through her tears, laughed, commenting how the conclusion of his proposal sounded like that of a Dr. Seuss novel. Knowing he was her favorite childhood author, Torres laughed in harmony with Ellie for a few moments before he tempered his laughter to ask once more: “Ellie, will you marry me?” Nodding her response, too overcome with emotion to speak, Nick gently placed the ring on Bishop’s left hand before picking her up in a sweet, passionate embrace, tears of surprise and happiness streaming down the couple’s faces. Bestowing kisses on her nose, her cheeks, and her lips, their tears of joy intermingling, Torres could not have picked a sweeter moment to propose to his partner, his soulmate, than in the twinkling lights of his Christmas tree.

* * *

_“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” ~Norman Vincent Peale_

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the ring I modeled after my story's ring: https://www.brilliantearth.com/rings/cyorings/purchase_review/?did=5977754&sid=1151595&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PLA&utm_content=BE1BDB30R30-PT&gclid=Cj0KCQiAi57gBRDqARIsABhDSMpi0CpaC2uTxrpwimHmC0ZKKOR500GkXEXYb2MNiSA7B0YZ_WEcZRoaAqU6EALw_wcB.


End file.
